2002 NCDD Conference – Washington DC

The first National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation brought 225 people together in Alexandria, Virginia October 4-6, 2002. The conference was held at the Radisson Alexandria, just south of Washington, DC.

The 28-page 2002 Conference Report includes a letter from the conference director outlining what worked and what could be improved, a list of who made the conference happen, a listing of all workshops offered at the conference, a description of the three plenary sessions and their outcomes, descriptions of the 12 “next steps groups” that formed at the conference, and a detailed look at whether we met our initial goals.

Our hope for the conference was that it would help define, strengthen and shape the future of D&D by giving leaders and future leaders in the field a venue in which to develop sustainable ways to communicate with one another, share resources and strategies, and increase the visibility and effectiveness of the practice.

The Conference was a highly participatory, high-energy event which brought dialogue practitioners together for the first time across models, topics, regions, applications and philosophies for a unique learning, networking and planning experience. The Conference was designed to provide the opportunity for new task forces, networks and committees to form for purposes designated by the participants.

The Conference included experiential workshops, opportunities to experience and observe a variety of dialogue models, an exhibition of resources and materials, networking opportunities, a high-tech, large-group town meeting and a community dialogue-style action forum.